Exhaust system components, particularly shell or shell-like components, are typically nested or stacked together after being forming for transport to a different location in order to efficiently use the available space in a transport container. But the weight of the components in the stack, especially when combined with shifting and settling of components during transport, often causes adjacent components in the stack to become bound together. Moreover, the components often form an unstable stack that tends to lean to one side or another. These problems have existed in the exhaust system manufacturing industry for decades, causing inefficiencies in the manufacturing process due to excessive time and manpower spent separating bound together components and/or dealing with component stacks that have fallen over or that have otherwise become disorganized.